Technologies
iOS 15 is coming: Release date, rumors and everything else we know so far
We’re likely very close to iOS 15’s general release. Here’s what we know about all the new features, and how to download it.

This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters.
We’re likely less than a week away from the launch of iOS 15, Apple’s latest mobile operating system that adds a ton of new features for iPhone users. While we don’t have an exact date yet, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 13 at an event on Tuesday (here’s how to watch) — and usually, we get the newest version of iOS in the days after a new phone is announced.
We got a first look at Apple’s iOS 15 update at the company’s virtual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, followed by a developer beta and now a public beta. (Here’s how to download the iOS 15 public beta, the three things you need to know before installing and how to check if your phone can run iOS 15.)
While we saw a lot of new features arrive this spring and summer with iOS 14.5, iOS 14.6 and iOS 14.7, including being able to unlock your iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask, stop apps from tracking you for advertising purposes and choose from four Siri voices, iOS 15 adds even more. New iOS 15 features include the ability to start FaceTime calls with Android users, easier sharing in iMessage and better directions in Maps. Keep reading for everything we’ve learned about iOS 15 so far, including when it will be generally released, how to download it and some of the biggest new features.
iOS 15 release date: September 2021
Apple revealed iOS 15 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 7, as is typical. The new OS was first available for developers to test and became available to download as a public beta on June 30.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said the final version of iOS 15 will launch in the fall. It’s likely that this will happen in September, alongside the launch of the iPhone 13. In the past, Apple has released the latest version of iOS within a week after an iPhone launch event, so we’re expecting the same thing this time around — which means we should get iOS 15 sometime in the week after Sept. 14.
iOS 15 new features
Here are a few of the key new features coming to iOS 15, unveiled at WWDC 2021. (And here’s an overview of all of the new features in iOS 15.)
FaceTime upgrades: Spatial audio, support for Android and Windows
FaceTime will offer spatial audio to make people’s voices appear to come from their position on the screen, making your video chats feel more natural and lifelike. FaceTime will also start to look more like Zoom, allowing you to see all participants in a grid view, schedule calls and share links to calls that can be accessed via browser on Google Android and Microsoft Windows devices.
Read more: Fun FaceTime date idea: Try Apple’s new SharePlay feature in iOS 15
iMessage sharing features
iOS 15 adds some new iMessage sharing features for photos, news articles and playlists. When a friend sends you multiple photos over iMessage, they’ll appear in a dynamic collage formation that allows you to swipe through them or tap through to view the whole bunch in your photos app. If you want to access the same photos later, you’ll find them stored in a new Shared with You folder, as well as mixed in with your own featured photos and memories. You’ll also find news articles and playlists shared through iMessage in new Shared with You tabs in your News and Apple Music apps.
Apple Maps update: 3D street data, AR walking directions and weather warnings
Apple Maps gets an upgrade, with more elevation data, road colors and driving directions, rich labels, 3D landmarks and improved night mode. In terms of public transportation, you can also pin nearby public transit stops and station information to your iPhone and Apple Watch devices, and receive automatic updates and notifications as you ride and approach your stop. When traveling on foot, a new augmented reality feature lets you scan nearby buildings in the area with the iPhone’s camera to determine their precise position for more accurate walking directions, which are also presented in augmented reality.
Maps also could factor weather warnings into suggested routes in iOS 15. Redditor ChrisSDreiling, who spotted the update in iOS 15 beta 3, says Maps will let you know if there are flash floods on your journey, and suggest alternate routes to avoid the extreme weather. Although other types of weather alerts weren’t mentioned in ChrisSDreiling’s post, it will be interesting to see if more weather warnings will be added before the iOS 15 general release in the fall.
Facial recognition selfies to validate digital ID cards in the Wallet app
At WWDC this spring, Apple announced that it will add ID card support for the Wallet app in iOS 15, allowing you to carry digital versions of government-issued identification cards like your drivers license on your iPhone. But it’s unclear how exactly the new feature will work. According to code uncovered by 9to5Mac in the latest iOS 15 beta 4 for developers, Apple could be using facial recognition selfies to validate your digital ID cards when adding them to your wallet. Some banking apps already use this selfie validation feature to authenticate users when logging on with new devices.
How do you download iOS 15?
If you’d like to test out iOS 15 before it’s generally released, you can download it now as a public beta (check if your iPhone can run iOS 15 here). Just be warned: Betas are usually buggy, and we don’t recommend downloading them on your primary device. But if you want to, here’s how to download the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 betas. (And if the bugs get you down, here’s how to change back to iOS 14.)
Read more: Apple’s iOS 15 beta is here, but watch out for these bugs
Once iOS 15 is generally available (likely next week), Apple will probably send a notification letting you know you can update. Or you’ll be able to do it manually, by going to the Settings app > General > Software Update.
For more, here’s every iPhone 13 rumor we’ve heard so far. You can also take a look at the cool new features for WatchOS 8, the best things about MacOS Monterey and check if your computer is compatible with the new MacOS.
Technologies
Amazon Prime Day Is Coming Back in July, With Tariffs Looming Large
Amazon’s big annual sales event for Prime members could be dampened by price hikes on imported goods. Here’s what to look for.

Amazon Prime Day will return in July. Amazon on Tuesday announced the 2025 edition of the summer shopping event, which typically brings some of its best Amazon deals of the year.
The mega retailer isn’t yet announcing specific dates, according to Amazon spokesperson Alicia Hopkins, who responded via email to questions about the timing. The two-day sales event, which is exclusively for Prime members, took place last year July 16-17.
Looming price hikes due to tariffs could impact how much savings shoppers can expect.
According to some reports, Amazon will start displaying the original prices of products alongside how much the Trump administration’s tariffs add to a product’s price, although the company denied this to Reuters.
The White House immediately denounced any such plan by Amazon.
«This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,» Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a White House press briefing on Tuesday. Amazon did not immediately respond to a follow-up request.
So what could tariffs mean for your Prime Day shopping?
How could tariffs affect Prime Day deals?
Prices on everything, including electronics, are expected to rise as a result of Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which he originally announced on April 2. He quickly followed with a 90-day pause for most of the tariffs, but left triple-digit tariffs in place for China and a 10% baseline tariff for goods imported from other countries.
The administration has since said that it’s in the process of making deals with many countries to ease tariffs, but no official announcements have been released yet. Some companies, including Apple, have taken steps to reduce the impact of tariffs on their products, including reportedly moving some manufacturing operations to India.
If the 90-day tariff pause is lifted before agreements can be reached, they would take effect in July — the same month as Amazon’s Prime Day event.
If retailers pass along the full cost of the tariffs, it could mean we’ll be paying double (or more) for products manufactured in other countries. Shoppers on bargain sites Temu and Shein have already seen prices skyrocket as much as 377% ahead of the tariffs.
After launching the original Prime Day in 2015, the retailer has expanded the number of its sales events, including a Big Spring Sale in March and Prime Big Deal Days in October.
Technologies
Sorry Shoppers, Amazon Says Tariff Cost Feature ‘Is Not Going to Happen’
The White House said Amazon would be considered a «hostile and political act» if it listed tariff prices next to products. But the company denies any plans to do so.

The effect of tariffs can be felt on almost everything you’re buying right now, but how much are they actually costing you? It can be hard to keep track. Some companies have been open about price hikes, but Amazon will not be one of them.
A report from Punchbowl News on Tuesday cited a source familiar with the plan as saying that Amazon intends to make it known to shoppers how much of a difference the tariffs are making to the price of items they want to buy. Amazon later shut down the claim.
«The team that runs our ultra low-cost Amazon Haul store considered the idea of listing import charges on certain products,» company spokesperson Tim Doyle said in an emailed statement. «This was never approved and is not going to happen.»
Even before Amazon denied the plan, President Donald Trump made it clear he was unhappy with the idea of the company listing tariff costs. «This is a hostile and political act by Amazon,» White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a briefing.
Tariffs have been sending costs soaring across shopping platforms, with reports that products on Chinese sites Temu and Shein have seen price hikes of up to 377%. Even though Amazon is a US company, it’s also feeling the impacts of increased import charges, with many products available across the platform originating in China.
«This is another reason why Americans should buy American,» Leavitt said Tuesday. Separately on Tuesday, Amazon announced its plans for the upcoming Prime Day sale. The shopping event will once again take place in July and offer savings across all categories of products, though it’s hard to say whether the savings this time will be as significant as on previous Prime Day sales.
Technologies
Here Are the Best Steam Wargames Fest and Star Wars May the 4th Be With You Deals
Save money and grow your gaming backlog with these Star Wars deals and Steam Wargame Fest discounts.

Steam is one of the most popular PC gaming platforms, selling more than 400 million total games in 2023, according to Statista. The digital PC gaming service boasts a massive catalog of over 76,000 titles. I first discovered Steam in university — until then, I’d never had my own computer, so the allure of PC gaming proved irresistible. What started as a humble dozen games (like Team Fortress 2 and Half-Life) blossomed into a collection of over 220 titles, thanks mainly to Steam sales. (Please don’t ask me how many items from my library I’ve actually played.)
Currently, you can snag some discounted war games at the Steam Wargames Fest, or load up on Star Wars titles for a May the 4th sale. Whether you’re trying to save a few bucks on one of the latest big-name AAA games, want to add more indie games to your digital shelf or need to fill up your Steam Deck hard drive, here’s everything you need to know about Steam sales and how to save money.
Best Steam May the 4th Star Wars game deals
Steam’s May the 4th Be With You sale slashes prices on a slew of Star Wars games. Here are some of the best deals we saw:
- 75% off Knights of the Old Republic (was $10, now $2.49)
- 75% off Knights of the Old Republic II — The Sith Lords (was $10, now $2.49)
- 50% off Star Wars: Bounty Hunger (was $20, now $10)
- 75% off Star Wars Republic Commando (was $10, now $2.49)
- 75% off Star Wars: The Force Unleashed — Ultimate Sith Edition (was $20, now $5)
- 75% off Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (was $20, now $5)
Best Steam Wargames Fest deals
You won’t have to resist reaching for your wallet with these deep discounts.
- 70% off Crusader Kings III (was $50, now $15)
- 31% off Arma Reforger (was $40, now $32)
- 70% off Squad (was $50, now $15)
- 25% off Easy Red 2 (was $9, now $7)
- 20% off Dynasty Warriors: Origins (was $70, now $56)
- 75% off Total War: Three Kingdoms (was $60, now $15)
- 75% off Total War: Rome II (was $60, now $15)
- 80% off Company of Heroes (was $20, now $4)
- 75% off Company of Heroes 2 (was $20, now $5)
- 50% off Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (was $5, now $2.49)
When are the next Steam sales?
There are four main Steam seasonal sales. The next major Steam Sale — the Steam Summer Sale — runs June 26 to July 10, 2025. There are also smaller sales, called Fests. Typically, the Steam Winter and Summer Sales last about two weeks, whereas the Spring and Autumn Sales last for one week, give or take.
- Steam Summer Sale (June 26 to July 10, 2025)
- Steam Autumn Sale (was Nov. 27 to Dec. 4, 2024)
- Steam Winter Sale (was Dec. 19, 2024, to Jan. 2, 2025)
- Steam Spring Sale (was March 13-20, 2025)
How often are Steam sales?
Steam Sales are pretty frequent, with at least one per month. While the big seasonal sales are quarterly — winter, fall, spring and summer — there are dozens of smaller sales or fests. Typically, these Steam discount days revolve around a particular theme, with lowered prices on titles within a certain genre, like fighting games or role-playing games.
Here’s how I save money with Steam sales (and you can too)
Take advantage of your wish list
Adding games to your Steam wish list simplifies figuring out what to snag — or skip — during a sale. You can sort your wish list by discount, so finding the biggest savings is a breeze.
Add a game to your wish list whenever you see one you like the look of but don’t immediately want to play. Then, during a Steam sale, pop in, sort by discount and see which prices have plummeted the most. Or, you can arrange your wish list in order of your most wanted titles, then choose what to buy that way during one of the upcoming Steam sales.
Use SteamDB to find the largest discounts
SteamDB is an excellent source for uncovering deals. Its many filters let you sort attributes, including discount percentage, rating, price or reviews, making it a helpful Steam sales tracker. You can even narrow down a list based on platform — Windows, Linux or MacOS — and features like controller support. I’ve even used SteamDB to nab free games, like a no-cost copy of Tell Me Why.
I typically hop into SteamDB during a Steam sale to look for hefty discounts on highly rated games. It’s worth checking SteamDB even outside of seasonal sales and fests if you want to expand your Steam collection.
Shop for older titles, indie games, DLC and complete catalogs
Often, newer AAA games get heavy markdowns — but because of their usually high price tags, even the discounted cost isn’t cheap. However, you can find wallet-friendly older games, indies or downloadable content. For instance, I picked up a copy of The Sum of All Fears for just $2, which wasn’t even during a Steam sale.
Complete publisher catalogs or franchise bundles save you a ton of money. I’ve seen the Activision Collection bundle — typically $900 — for as low as $355. While over $350 might not be pocket change, the per-title breakdown is pretty cost-effective when you’re getting 53 games. Similarly, I’ve seen the Call of Duty Franchise bundle for $443, a steep drop from its usual $1,010.
You can often get DLC packs pretty cheap during Steam sales, which provide more in-game content to enjoy. On the other hand, these comprehensive bundles might lead you to overspend if you’re not actually planning on playing, say, every single Call of Duty game under the sun.
Check your other game libraries to make sure you’re not double-dipping
Although Steam is incredibly popular, it’s not the only source for digital game purchases. Check your other libraries on GOG, Epic, EA Origin and Xbox Game Pass, for instance, to ensure you’re not double-dipping. While you could buy Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam and GOG, you probably don’t need two copies.
Cross-shop deals on other platforms
With many Steam alternatives, including GOG, Epic, Origin and Fanatical, you can find sweet discounts from several outlets. While you can — and should — check those individual storefronts, IsThereAnyDeal is a comprehensive source for savings. So you might notice a great deal on Skyrim from Steam, but it might be available at an even lower price at Epic at the same time.
Set a budget
Adding a bunch of games to your cart can be tempting, especially with prices slashed by 75% or more. However, lots of cheap games can still add up. I typically set a budget — whether it’s monetary or a limit on the number of games — and stick to that.
Don’t feel compelled to buy anything
The best way to save money is by not spending it in the first place. I know, it’s tempting to load up your cart with $5 or $10 games, which is nearly as gratifying as an in-game loot grab. But only buy what you’ll play now or soon after purchasing. While there are rare instances where games get delisted on Steam, chances are if you pass up on a sweet deal, it’ll still be available during the next Steam sale.
A complete list of Steam sale dates
Outside of Steam’s seasonal sales, there are different genre-themed sales or fests. Steam fests revolve around a genre or game theme. Here are the upcoming Steam fests for the remainder of 2024 and the first half of 2025 as announced by Steam, along with examples of Steam games on sale you might find:
- Wargames Fest (April 28-May 5, 2025): Get your fight on with slashed prices on titles that may include Six Days in Fallujah, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Europa Universalis IV.
- Creature Collector Fest (May 12-19, 2025): If you like Pokémon, you’ll love these discounts on games like Palworld, Digimon World: Next Order and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin.
- Zombies vs. Vampires Fest (May 26-June 2, 2025): Unreal deals on the undead and living dead — titles you may see on sale include Resident Evil 4, The House of the Dead Remake and Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines.
- Steam Next Fest June Edition (June 9-16, 2025): Demos, livestreams and developer chats showcasing upcoming games.
- Fishing Fest (June 16-23, 2025): No fishing license required for these great games. You could see prices sink for games like Bassmaster Fishing, Fishing Planet, Bass Pro Shops Fishing Sim World or Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos.
- Real-Time Strategy Fest ( was Jan. 20-27, 2025): Reap the rewards of discounted RTS strategy games — you might find Hearts of Iron IV, Manor Lords or DOTA 2 on sale.
- Idler Fest (was Feb. 3-10, 2025): If you want to play a video game that lets you progress without too much demanding effort, an idler is a great choice. Examples of what you could find on the cheap include Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realm, Firestone and Rusty’s Retirement.
- Couch Co-Op Fest (was Feb. 10-17, 2025): Couch co-op games let you play with friends in the same room. You may see games like It Takes Two, Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection for wallet-friendly prices.
- Steam Next Fest February Edition (was Feb. 24-March 10, 2025): Demos, developer chats and livestreams featuring up-and-coming games.
- Visual Novel Fest (was March 3-10, 2025): Stock up your Steam library on graphic novel and anime-adjacent games without breaking the bank. You might see Persona 3 Reload, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy or Vampire Therapist at attractively low costs.
- City Builder & Colony Sim Fest (was March 24-31, 2025): Build your own virtual worlds, and cop titles like Anno 1800, Ages of Empires IV or RimWorld on sale.
- Sokoban Fest (was April 21-28, 2025): Pick up some puzzle games like Isles of Sea and Sky or Schein.
When is the next Steam Next Fest?
There’s an upcoming Steam Next Fest running February 24 to March 3, 2025. The Steam Next Fest highlights upcoming game releases, featuring developer chats, free playable game demos and livestreams. Some of the most played demos from the June 2024 Steam Next Fest included Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, Once Human and Level Zero: Extraction.
Here’s what I bought on Steam recently
So what did I stock up on at a recent Steam Sale? Mass Effect Legendary Edition — three games for $2 apiece was too good a deal to skip. I also snagged Middle-earth: Shadow of War. While I picked up Shadow of Mordor at a previous Steam Sale, I’ve not yet added its sequel to my metaphorical shelf. As a big cinephile and fan of movie tie-in games (like Peter Jackson’s King Kong), I was excited to get Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine alongside Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb for $4 total. Although I own it in EA Origin, I snagged a $1 copy of Alice: Madness Returns, because at that price, it was too juicy a discount to pass up.
How to get the most out of Steam once you’ve ravaged your wallet during a Steam sale
Once you’ve drained your bank account dry on games you’ll likely never play, there’s a lot more you can do with Steam, like sharing your library with friends or family, using Remote Play Together and adding non-Steam games. I suggest installing the Steam Link app on your phone, tablet or streaming device for playing your games away from your PC. You can also game on the go with the Steam Deck or another handheld gaming console like the Asus ROG Ally. Or, you can share your Steam library with up to five family members using Steam Families.
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